A Family Event
by mandaree1
Summary: Seeing how Mr. and Mrs. Loud are far too used to the sound of a baby monitor, they let Lisa be the one to wake them up if Lily's having a bad night. Of course, she typically isn't the type to go to them, either, seeing how this is more of a sibling affair. (Or; it's too early but everybody's up anyway)


**Disclaimer: I don't own The Loud House!**

 **Title: A Family Event.**

 **Summary: Seeing how Mr. and Mrs. Loud are far too used to the sound of a baby monitor, they let Lisa be the one to wake them up if Lily's having a bad night. Of course, she typically isn't the type to go to them, either, seeing how this is more of a sibling affair. (Or; it's too early but everybody's up anyway)**

 **...**

"Lincoln, I require your assistance. Now."

The first thought that solidified in Lincoln's mind, as he leapt out of his skin, was, for once, it wasn't Lucy's presences that lingered by his bedside. It was Lisa. The second was that he heard crying.

"Lisa!" He cried, pulling his covers up to his chest, as though his pajamas were somehow lacking in the perseverance of his dignity. "Why didn't you knock?"

"I did." She affirmed. Lincoln thought he saw her eye twitch slightly. "My next discovery shall be the first safe and non-traumatizing baby muzzle. Help me."

"Is Lily crying?" He rubbed at his gummy eyes.

"I assumed that was obvious." She watched him climb out of bed with a steady gaze, arms behind her back. "You're more experienced with newborn humans- assist me."

"Sure. Just let me get my clothes on." He hurried pulled off his shirt and grabbed his day clothes. He had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't going to get anymore rest that night. "No offense, but why didn't you get Lola and Lana?"

"I did."

"Lucy?"

"Who do you think I left her with? I certainly couldn't trust them with it. They'd fall asleep on the drop of a dime."

Personally, he didn't know if any of them- himself included- were trustworthy enough to watch over Lily before the sun rose, but he didn't say as much.

It's surprisingly easy to sneak past his sisters' rooms, following Lisa carefully down the stairs to the first floor. She took a hard turn towards their shared room, and he scrambled to follow her.

The source of the cries lay gently cradled in Lucy's arms as they pushed open the door. The girl was singing a lullaby in a familiar monotone way, while Lana and Lola had stolen Lisa's bed, dully leaning against each other. The younger girl looked too frazzled to really care.

"Shh, shh, shh." Lincoln soothed, holding out his arms. Lucy handed her over without complaint. "It's okay, Lily. Your big brother is here."

"Lincoln, she's going to wake the dead." Lucy tugged on his arm, frowning. "I mean that literally. We must soothe her quickly."

"With all due respect to the undead, Lucy; I think waking up the living is worse than stirring up a few ghosts." He answered apologetically.

"Hmm. You're right," she said, after a moment's deliberation, "the barrier is fairly thick this time of year, so we should be safe."

"If you say so."

"Can't you calm her down somehow?" Lola broke in, glaring at him sleepily. "I can't afford to mess up my sleep schedule like this."

"What do you think I'm doing?" Lincoln demanded, holding Lily out pointedly, then drawing her back to his chest when she let out a particularly violent wail. "Shh, it's okay, I won't drop you."

No one bothered to turn when a loud thudding started down the stairwell. Caught up as he was rocking Lily, Lincoln hardly cared to follow the trek of the source until a fist slammed into the doorway. "Can't you dorks keep it down in here!?"

"Shh!" They all cried, and Lily seemed to agree with a thrash.

"Why should I-" Lynn, with deep bags under her eyes, let her vision dart around the room viciously before coming to rest on the crying baby. Her face instantly softened. "Ah, crap. I'm so sorry, Lily. Don't cry! C'mere."

"Did I do this?" She took her from Lincoln, the picture of regret. "I thought you were watching a movie, or somethin', honest."

"Find a way to help us, and it will be water under the bridge." Lisa reassured her, too tired to really care. "Or go get someone who _can_."

"Gotcha." The active woman saluted and gingerly handed her back. "I'll go get Luna. She can... you know. Music stuff!"

"Hurry." Lucy sighed grimly. Lynn set a fast pace down the hall.

Lana made grab hands. "You've held her long enough, Linc. S'my turn."

It wasn't that Lily was crying anymore as it was she was restless, squirming and whining. Her face was puffy and shiny; Lisa gently wiped it clean with a warm rag.

Three sets of thudding feet alerted them to Luna's arrival, guitar slung across her back. She was flanked by Lynn and Luan.

"I heard we got a baby emergency in the house." She confidently plunked down on the floor, adjusting the knobs on her instrument as needed. "No biggie. I got this."

"No rock." Lola warns.

"No kiddin'." Luna sent her a blank look. "It's too early for that anyway, dude."

If she noticed her siblings staring at her, Luna didn't verbally express it. She began to strum, letting a quiet melody fill the room.

Lincoln couldn't tell you how long they sat, quietly listening to her play. He felt his eyelids begin to droop. Lucy was leaning on him, head lolling, and he couldn't say that Luan's arm wasn't comfy.

"Nuh-uh." A gruff voice whispered, and he heard a thunk. Judging by the cries of outrage, Lynn had grabbed Lola and Lana by the head and smacked them against each other. "If _I_ gotta be awake this early, so do you."

He wrenched his eyes open and nudged Lucy, who moved back without complaint.

"I take it back, sibs." Luna admitted finally, letting her instrument fall silent against her lap. "I totally don't got this."

"She's _still_ awake?" Lincoln mentally boggled at the thought.

"Yes." Lisa hissed from some corner of the room. They hadn't bothered to turn the lights on.

"Did you check her diaper?"

"Of course I did." She sniffed. "Are you doubting my intelligence?"

"Nah, sis. Just how awake you are." Luna slowly got to her feet. "I'll wake Leni. She can make us some kinda smoothie to wake us up."

"Don't take it too hard, sis." Luan patted her shoulder reassuringly. Luna bowed her head in defeat at the touch. "You're just too _punk_ to rock our baby sister to sleep."

"Ha." She snorted. "I'm so tired, that was actually funnier than it normally would be. Weird."

"Don't even." Lola pointed a shaming finger at her. "You two have gotten the most sleep outta everybody else in this room. You have no right to complain."

Lincoln intervened with a raised hand. "So, uh, if this is gonna be a thing, d'ya think we can move somewhere with more space? Like, the living room?"

Lana perked up. "TV?"

Lola punched her arm. "Not for _us_ , dummy."

"I know that. But, still." The girl looked to her older brother with pleading eyes. "TV?"

Together they all curled up on the couch, in various degrees of cloth and cleanliness, and put on a music channel, setting the volume low.

Leni stumbled down the stairs ten minutes later. "I'm too tired for, like, words."

Lola narrowed her eyes, but seemed to bite her tongue on scolding the poor girl. "Whatever you're making, put coffee in it."

"Your growth might be stunted if you consume too much caffeine over time." Lisa reported. "Although I doubt one cup will do serious damage."

"I don't care." She adjusted her crown with a glare, snapping her fingers as if to call a beloved pet, but none came racing down the steps to meet them. "Small is part of being cute. Coffee, woman."

A half hour later the eldest sibling appeared, showered and dressed with a key chain twirling round her index finger. "Get in the car."

"Are you sure you should be driving this early?"

"Do we have any other options?" Lori pulled the door open with an authoritative air. "Car. Now."

Lily's booster seat reserved the passenger's side of the front row. It was probably his protective instincts that drove Lincoln to sit directly behind the baby, Lucy and Lynn piling in after him. Farther back was Luan and Luna, with Lisa between, with the twins and Leni taking the far back. Taking care of Lily was a family affair, after all.

After some driving, it was Lori who proclaimed that the baby had fallen asleep, and was peacefully in dreamland. Dawn was hovering on the horizon, and it felt like the world was quiet, waiting, watching. Lincoln thought he could hear her snoring.

"Thank the Powers of the Universe." Lisa sounded like she was on the edge and close to teetering off into tears. "Wake me when we return home."

Luna retrieved Lisa's glasses and handed them off to Luan to be pinned to her shirt and protected against smudges as the second youngest unbuckled her seatbelt and collapsed into the other girl's laps. Mostly Luna's.

"You got it, sis." Luna sprawled her arms out and stared at the ceiling of the van. Thinking.

Lincoln heard a snuffling in the back, and peered over the seat to see Leni and the twins using each other as makeshift beds. He figured, with size ratios and such, it was probably the least comfortable for Leni.

Lynn wrapped an arm around Lucy and sat back. the girl let out a quiet but guttural sound and buried her nose in the girl's shirt.

"Is she okay?"

"She's sleepin'. Chill, bro."

Lincoln blinked at the spectacle only a second more, then melted against the door. He watched the scenery pass by before finally he couldn't keep his eyes open anymore and laid his head on his arm.

He fell asleep to Lori complaining about carrying them all inside.

 **Author's Note: Lily is the luckiest baby in the world and everyone must know it. =)**

 **Only my second Loud House 'fic, although there wasn't an archive yet when I wrote it. Ya'll know how it is.**

 **-Mandaree1**


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